Cigar lighter and advertising cabinet



March 20, 1928.

C. J. UNDERWOOD ET AL.

CIGAR LIGHTER AND ADVERTISING CABINET Filed, March l5, 1925 rar vso

Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL J. UNDEBWODD AND JAMES A.. UNDERWOOD, F HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFQRNIA.

CIGAB LIGHTER AND ADVERTISING CABINET.

Application led March 16, 1925.A Serial No. 16,080.

Our invention relates to a combined cigar lighter and advertising cabinet and has for its principal objects, the provision of a relatively simple, com act and convenient cabinet that is adapte to be positioned upon a show case counter, the walls of said cabinet of transparent or translucent material that bear advertising matter or similar data; to arrange within the cabinet an electric lamp and means for intermittently lighting the same, so as to cause the transparent or translucent walls of the cabinet to function as flashing advertising signs; further, to arrange on the top of the cabinet an electric cigar lighter; and, further, to provide an appliance of the character referred to that presents a neat and finished appearance, and which will be very effective in performing its intended functions.

20 With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a combined cigar lighter and advertising cabinet of our improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is avertical section taken on the iine 3-3 of Fig. 1. r

Fig. t is an enlarged cross section taken on the line M of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view looking against the under side of 'the iid or cover of the cabinet 'the latter being inverted and showing certain of the eiectrical contacts and connection thereon.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit untilized in our improved cigar lighter and cabinet.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10 designates the base of the cabinet, 11 the front and side walls thereof, 12 the rear wall and 13 the lid or cover that is connected by hinges 14 to the upper edge of the front wall. v

The front and side walls 11 are provided with sections or panels 15 of glass, celluloid 50 or the like that are preferably translucent and which may bear advertisin matter.

A block 16 projects upward rom the center of cover 13 and seated in an opening that is formed through said block and cover is a thimble 17 lthat encloses a ring 18 of suitable insulating material.

Arranged to slide freely through ring 18 is a threaded socket 19 provided with a flange 2O at its lower end and secured to said 00 iange are the upper ends of depending screws 21. vThe lower portions of these screws are arranged to slide freely through a bar 22, that has its ends clamped between nuts 23 and the latter being screw-seated on 65 screws 23a that depend from the underside of cover 13. Arranged on screws 23a between bar 22 and flange 20 are light coil springs 21.

Adapted to be screwed into and out of socket 19 is a plug that includes a substantially cylindrical body 25 of porcelain or the like and which is enclosed by a threaded shell 26.

Occupying a spirally disposed groove in the top of body 25 is a heating coil 27 over which lies a thin sheet of perforated mica 28 and the latter being retained in position by a-,marginal ring 29.

One end of coil 27 is electrically connected 80 to the lower portion of shell 26 and the other end of said coil extends down through the center of body 25 and connects to a contact button 30 that is located on the underside of said body (see Fig. 4).

When 'the coil carrying plug is moved downward by pressure of a cigar or cigarette on disc 28, the button 30 is adapted to make contact with the free end of a plate 31 that is secured to the underside of cover and @0 which plate is formed integrai with a metal strip 32, and the latter being rovided with a contact button 33 (see Fig. 5

The end of strip 32 opposite to the end that is connected to plate 31 terminates in 95 a depending spring arm 34 that makes contact when the lid 13 is closed with a contact button 35 on the inner face of rear wall 12.

One of the screws 23a is at one end electrically connected to a strip 36 that is arranged on the underside of lid 13 and the opposite end of said strip terminates in a depending spring 37, which, when the lid is closed makes contact with a contact button 38 that is arranged on the inner face of rear wall l2.

Strip 36 is provided with an extension 39 on which is located a contact member 40.

Rear wall 12 is provided with a vertically disposed pocket 4l in which is arranged for vertical sliding movement, a panel 42 of wood or suitable insulation.

Arranged on the lower portion of the inner face of this panel is a lamp socket 43 that receives an incandescent electric lamp 44. @ne side of the socket 43 is connected by a conductor 45 to a spring contact membei' 46 and which latter is adapted, when the lid 13 is closed to engage contact member 40.

Arranged on the inner face of panel 42 above socket 43 is a block 47 on the lower portion of which is located a horizontally disposed Wishbone-shaped thermostatic mem ber 48 and the lower arm thereof is wound with a heating coil 49 of tine wire.

Adjustably seated in a portion of block 47 that projects above the free ond of thermostat 48 is a contact screw 50 with which said thcrmostatic member is adapted to engage when expanded under heat and said screw is electrically connected to coil 49 and to lamp socket 43.

rlhe base or fixed end of thermostat 48 is electrically connected to a spring 51 and the latter is adapted, when lid 13 is closed to make contact with stud 40 on strap 39.

@ne branch of line conductors 52, which enter the cabinet through the lower portion of rear wall 12 leads to contact member 38 and the other branch leads to contact member 35.

lln the operation of the sign flashing portion of our invention, the free end of the thermostat is normally out of contact with the end of screw 50 so that the circuit through said screw 50 to lamp 44 is open under such conditions when a switch in line 52 is closed, current Flowing through coil 49 heats same and the thermostatic member upon which said coil is mounted, thereby causing said member to expand slightly, with the result that the free end of the thermostat makes contact with screw 50 thereby closing the circuit to lamp 44 and, as the latter burns the interior of the housing is illuminated so as to render the signs or advertising matter on the translucent panels 15 readily visible.

As soon as the current is cut od from coil 49 the thermostat contracts so that the free end thereof is withdrawn from screw 50 and, as a result, the circuit to lamp is opened and the current owing through coil 49 will reheat same, thus bringing about a repetition of the operations just described.

.When lid or cover 13 is closed, spring arms 34 and 37 make contact with buttons 35 and 38 respectively and springs 46 and 51 make contact respectively, with 40 and 33. rlhus when the plug 25 is forced downward by the pressure of a cigar or cigarette against perforated disc, button 30 will contact with the free end of spring 31, thereby closing the circuit to coil 27, with the result that said coil will be heated to a red or white heat, thereby enabling the cigar or cigarette to be lighte As pressure on top of the plug is removed, springs 24 will act to move plug 25 upward to normal position and consequently breaking contact between parts 30 and 31.

`When the circuit through the cigar lighter is closed as just described, current passes from one side of the line 52 through contact spring 34, strip 32, tongue 31, button 30, coil 27,'shells 26 and 19, screws 24, bar 22, strip 36, spring 37 and button 38, back to the other side of the main line 52.

vlllug 25 may be readily removed from socket member 19, and this provision together with the arrangement whereby lid 13 is hinged to the top of the cabinet renders the cigar lighter and its connections readily accessible for the purpose of inspection, adjustment and re airs.

@ne of the particu arly advantageous features of our invention is the mounting of lamp 44, the thermostat 48, the springs 46 and 51 and the electrical connections between said parts, on the bodily removable panel 42, for, by so mounting the parts just mentioned, they can be readily removed for the purposes of inspection or repairs.

'.lhe current to lam 44 is dependent only upon the contact of t ermostat- 48 with contact screw 50 and the opening and closing of the circuit to the coil 27 has no e'ect upon the automatic action of the lamp opening and closing connections.

'llhus it will be seen that we have provided a relatively simple and practical combina tion cigar lighter and advertising cabinet that may be easily and cheaply produced and which is very edective in performing its intended functions.

We claim as our invention:

ln a combined advertisin cabinet and cigar lighter. a cabinet, a lid linged thereto, a threaded socket arranged for movement through an opening in said lid, a bearing supported on the under side of the lid, springs arranged between said bearing and threaded support, a heating coil carrying plug, removably seated in said threaded support, one of the terminals of thecoil carried by said plug extending to the under side of said plug,"a spring ton ue with which the terminal of said coil is adapted to make conllt) tact when moved inwardly, electric conductors leading from said bar and said spring contact to the under side of the lid spring, contact members secured to the inner 5 face of one of the walls of the cabinet and adapted to make contact with the contact members on the under side of the lid when the same is closed and a source of electrical energy connected to said spring contact arms.

In testimony whereof we ax our signatures.

CARL J. UNDERWOOD. JAMES A. UNDERWOOD. 

